Interdisciplinary Approaches to Biomedical Data Science Challenges

July 20-24, 2015Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Applications are invited for an Ideas Lab on “Interdisciplinary Approaches to Biomedical Data Science Challenges” taking place from July 20 to 24, 2015 at the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI) located in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

The Ideas Lab process entails participation in an intensive five-day residential workshop, the development of multidisciplinary collaborative proposals through a real-time and iterative review process, and the opportunity to submit proposals for small, 1-year awards to further build the collaborations. The Ideas Lab process was modeled on the “IDEAs Factory” program developed by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the United Kingdom. The concept of the IDEAs Factory program is to organize intensive interactive multidisciplinary workshops (“Sandpits”) involving around 30 participants, with the aim of developing new and bold approaches to address grand challenge questions for topics that could benefit from a new dimension in thinking. The participants are assisted by a team of professional facilitators and by a team of scientists with relevant expertise. These scientific experts, known as mentors, are not eligible for any funds that may be available for proposals, and therefore act as impartial referees of the process.

SAMSI is organizing an Ideas Lab on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Biomedical Data Science Challenges. The goal is to foster the formation of new interdisciplinary collaborations among mathematicians, statisticians and biomedical science researchers on developing models, methods and approaches for overcoming challenges in precision medicine, an important application area that is at the intersection of the biomedical and data sciences. A more-detailed description of the Lab can be found here. Some exemplar areas of interest are suggested here. Working under the oversight of several mentors, participants will form teams during the workshop to develop interdisciplinary projects. At the end of the workshop, they will have the opportunity to submit one-year proposals that may be considered for funding by the NSF.

This Ideas Lab is jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

Application Procedure

Applications will be considered from researchers in mathematics, statistics, computer science, biology, clinical informatics and neuroscience, as well as other data-intensive areas such as finance and astronomy. A small committee will select approximately 30 applicants to take part in the Lab. Selected participants will have their travel and hotel expenses fully covered by SAMSI*. Applicants must be willing to commit to stay for the full week.
*We have submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to support the IDEAS Lab.